Sixers' defense predicted to be one of NBA's elite groups this season

Sixers' defense predicted to be one of NBA's elite groups this season

Spearheaded by Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons, the Philadelphia 76ers own one of the most intimidating defenses in the entire NBA.

It shouldn’t come as a surprise that FiveThirtyEight predicts that the Sixers will have another dominant year on defense. According to their projections, Philadelphia is forecasted to finish the year with the No. 2 ranked defense.

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Last season, the Sixers finished with a defensive rating of 103.8. Only the Utah Jazz and Boston Celtics finished above coach Brett Brown’s squad. FiveThirtyEight expects Utah to maintain its place on top, but they predict that Philadelphia will surpass Boston.

Another interesting point is the return and potential emergence of Markelle Fultz. The Athletic pointed out comments from Brown on the former No. 1 overall pick’s defensive abilities.

Along with defensive rankings, the statistics-focused website gives the Sixers a 19 percent chance of advancing to the NBA Finals. Only the Raptors and Celtics have better odds to advance past the Eastern Conference Finals.